Upon joining the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1979, Dutch superstar Johan Cruyff took young teammate Thomas Rongen aside for a chat.
After inspiring revolutionary change in European soccer, Cruyff had brought his magical touch and visionary ideas to America to help grow the game in a frontier generations behind the rest of the world but rich with possibilities. Rongen was nine years Cruyff’s junior, a solid player himself but a blue-collar cog next to a supreme figure like Cruyff.
“Thomas, I know you are okay as a player,” Cruyff said, “but just win the [expletive] ball and get it to me.